Skip to main content

Mac OS X Yosemite is out and ready for download starting today

Update by Konrad Krawczyk 10/16/14 1:31 p.m. ET: Apple has just launched Mac OS X Yosemite to the world. You can get it starting today. Just head over to the Mac App store, and click on the Updates button.

As of this writing, we’re still not seeing an update in the store, but it should appear soon.

Recommended Videos

Update by Konrad Krawczyk 8/21/14 5:43 p.m. ET: Apple has released the first update for the Mac OS X Yosemite public beta. You can download it from the app store right now.

Original story

The beta version of OS X Yosemite, Apple’s next desktop operating system, is live, and available to download right now. You can do so by clicking here.

Once you open the page we linked to above and follow the instructions, you’ll be presented with a redemption code that will grant you a golden ticket to Yosemite-dom. Cash it in, and you’ll be on your way to vrooming and zooming around in Apple’s latest iteration of OS X.

While one of us here at DT is able to download the Yosemite preview right now, a couple of us have had issues. For instance, our very own Matt Smith tried to get his hands on the beta using the above link, but for whatever reason, the redemption code he has isn’t working. Check out the screenshot below.

Yosemite Redemption Error
Image used with permission by copyright holder

I encountered the same error with my redemption code as well. However, the MacBook I’m using has Mountain Lion on it, and I’m currently upgrading it to Mavericks as I write this. Yosemite requires that you have Mavericks if you wish to install the beta. Once I have Mavericks up and running, I’ll test the code again to see if I get the same error message. However, with the Mountain Lion variable temporarily in the way, it’s possible that that’s why I’m encountering the redemption code error. However, Matt Smith has Mavericks, so it’s unclear why he’s running into that roadblock.

In any case, OS X Yosemite brings with it a bunch of new features, including a UI facelift, a notifications center, tighter integration between iOS and OS X, and more. However, keep in mind that many of the new features, like Continuity, won’t be enabled until Yosemite’s full release sometime later this year.

Update 7/24/14 4:16 p.m. ET: DT contributor Matt Smith was eventually given a different code by the Yosemite beta page which worked, allowing him to download the OS without any further issues.

Konrad Krawczyk
Former Computing Editor
Konrad covers desktops, laptops, tablets, sports tech and subjects in between for Digital Trends. Prior to joining DT, he…
Apple needs to fix the basics for macOS 26, or let AI run the show
Background apps on M4 MacBook Air.

The Mac apps community is a wonderful place to find utilities that can supercharge your computing experience. Alfred, Raycast, AlDente, and Rectangle are some of the most highly recommended apps for macOS users these days. The open-source community has also produced a few utilities (and their forks) that I use on a daily basis. 

If you read between the lines, you'll notice that these apps fill a functional gap that Apple has yet to offer natively. On the other side of the computing ecosystem, Windows has served those perks for years. Will the next big software upgrade, macOS 26, finally give users an in-house fix? We’ll only get the answer at WWDC 2025 in just over a week from now. 

Read more
Every macOS version in order: from the first public beta to macOS 15
Apple MacBook Air 15 M4 front angled view showing display and keyboard.

Apple’s macOS operating system has changed a lot over the last 25 years, with new features and designs coming and going as the decades have passed. Even the name has been adjusted, starting out as Mac OS X before shortening to OS X and eventually settling on macOS. The world the original version inhabited back in 2000 is very different to today.

Including the initial public beta, Apple has released 22 versions of the Mac operating system so far, with new launches becoming an annual occurrence. But it wasn’t always this way, and there have been some fascinating updates and developments in the time since the first version appeared. Let’s see how macOS has changed over the years.

Read more
The new macOS update includes a battery boost for Safari
Laptop showing the macos 15.5 update.

The macOS 15.5 update is here, and it's overall pretty light on features. However, the Safari 18.5 update bundled with it does include a new developer feature that will save battery life for users. "Declarative Web Push" is a more efficient approach to web notifications that will drain less battery every time you get a notification on Safari.

The feature already came to iOS and iPadOS in the last update, allowing developers to swap their notification implementations to the simpler JSON format. Just for fun, here's what it looks like:

Read more